This invention relates to improvements in the transport of hydrocarbons from subsea wells and, more particularly, to a connection assembly for connecting subsea wells to fluid conductors extending downwardly in a cluster from a production vessel or platform on the surface of the sea.
In offshore exploratory drilling and production activities, vertical fluid conductors, known as risers, are stabbed vertically from a surface vessel or platform into a preset and piled connection terminal on the seabed. Since such a riser is always maintained in a vertical position during use, the subsea connection always remains upright and there is no rotation of the terminal.
Submarine pipelines and flowlines intended to lie on the sea bed during operation are often pulled across the seabed and into a connection box. This connection box is fixed to face in the direction of the incoming pipeline or pipeline bundle. No rotational capability is built into the connection box.
The prior art connection techniques just described are cumbersome to install and maintain, thus adding to the expense of producing hydrocarbons from subsea wells. To minimize the expense involved in recovering hydrocarbons from subsea wells, improvements are needed in the way in which connections are made between pipes required to provide fluid flow passages for the production fluids. The present invention provides such improvements.